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Doppler effect
The Doppler effect is defined as a noticeable change in the frequency of sound, light or water waves as the source and the observer move.
(noun)An example of the Doppler effect is that the frequency of the sound increases as the source moves closer to the observer.
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See Doppler effect in Webster's New World College Dictionary
the apparent change of frequency of sound waves or light waves, varying with the relative velocity of the source and the observer: if the source and observer are drawing closer together, the observed frequency is higher than the emitted frequency
Origin: after C. Doppler (1803-53), Austrian mathematician and physicist
See Doppler effect in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A change in the observed frequency of a wave, as of sound or light, occurring when the source and observer are in motion relative to each other, with the frequency increasing when the source and observer approach each other and decreasing when they move apart. The motion of the source causes a real shift in frequency of the wave, while the motion of the observer produces only an apparent shift in frequency. Also called Doppler shift.
Origin:
Origin: After Christian Johann Doppler
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